1206周四Culture: 你知不知道12月末除了圣诞节以外，还有Kwanzaa这个节日？

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Joyous Kwanzaa!

宽扎节快乐！

Kwanzaa is a winter holiday held in the USA and other American countries that have large populations of the African diaspora. It lasts for one week, from December 26th to January 1st.

Kwanzaa is a fascinating holiday because it was invented in 1966 by an American man named Maluana Karenga. Mr. Karenga started the holiday because he and many other black Americans felt that American culture focused too much on white and European heritage, and did not reflect the African heritage of many Americans. You might know that in the 1960s, there was a lot of racial tension between black people and white people in the USA, and Kwanzaa was a way for black Americans to celebrate African heritage at the same time that the rest of America was celebrating the European tradition of Christmas.

Kwanzaa是个冬天节日，流行在美国和其他有非洲裔的美洲国家。节日的时长为一周，从12月26号到1月1号。

Kwanzaa最有趣的点在于，它不是个古老的节日，而是个发明的节日，1966年在美国由Maluana Karenga发明的。Karenga先生发明Kwanzaa是因为他和很多其他美国的非洲裔都觉得美国文化太以欧洲和白人文化为重点，而非洲文化和历史太被忽略了。你可能也知道，在美国60年代白人和黑人之间的矛盾比较大，所以Kwanzaa是一个能让非洲裔美国人庆祝自己的历史和文化的好方法。选择12月末就是因为当时整个美国都在过圣诞节，所以可以放假了。

Kwanzaa is named for a Swahili word that means “first fruits,” and it is taken from a harvest festival in southern Africa. Even though the name is Swahili, Kwanzaa is meant to help all people of African heritage in the Americas to celebrate their heritage.

Kwanzaa has seven principles that are celebrated on each day of the holiday. Translated into English, they are Unity, Self-Determination, Responsibility, Cooperation, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith. These are the things that the inventors of Kwanzaa felt would help black people in the Americas achieve a better life and a better situation in society.

These seven principles are represented by a Kinara, or a candle holder with seven candles. A new candle on the Kinara is lit on each day of Kwanzaa, very much like the menorah that Jewish people light on Hanukkah.

Kwanzaa这个名字来自个斯瓦希里语的单词，意思是“首部水果”或者“首部收获”，指的是个在非洲南部的一个传统收获节。虽然这个名字是斯瓦希里语，Kwanzaa就是为了让所有在美洲的非洲裔庆祝自己的文化。

Kwanzaa有七个原则，各个搭配Kwanzaa这个节日的七个天。翻译成英文，或者中文，分别是团结、自决、责任、合作、目的性、创意、和信仰。这些原则，Kwanzaa的创始人认为可以帮助美洲的非洲裔实现更好的生活和更好的社会位置。

这七个原则的代表是个Kinara，一个七根蜡烛的灯台。在Kwanzaa的每一天，就要再点亮一个新的蜡烛，跟犹太人的光明节menorah很像。

Kwanzaa is a celebration of African culture, and that includes African food. Africa is a huge place, filled with so many different cultures, languages, and cuisines. All of this, combined with all the foods that African peoples started eating after they arrived in the Americas, means you have a lot of food to choose from on Kwanzaa.

One dish is called jollof rice, which is a kind of fried rice with tomato flavor and lots of other seasonings. It’s popular in many parts of Africa, and has influenced a lot of American cuisine.

Peanut soup is another one. It’s popular in many parts of Africa and is made with chicken broth, peanut paste, and lots of different vegetables and seasonings.

Other popular dishes include foods that are naturally grown in different parts of Africa. Okra, black-eyed peas, and yams are common examples. They can be prepared in traditional African ways, or in a more American style.

Kwanzaa是专门为了庆祝非洲文化，这也包括非洲的吃的。非洲是个巨大的地方，文化、语言、和饮食文化非常丰富和多元化。再加上非洲裔到了美国以后才接触的饮食文化，这就是说到了Kwanzaa的时候，好吃的选择实在是太多了。

其中一个菜叫作Jollof Rice，是一种加上番茄和各种调料的炒饭。它在非洲的很多地方非常受欢迎，而且对美国的饮食文化的印象非常深刻。

还有一个叫作花生汤。这也是在非洲的很多地方很流行，也是拿鸡汤、花生酱、和各种菜和调料做的。

其他的菜种包括非洲的一些传统吃的，包括秋葵、黑眼豆、和地瓜，也包括非洲本地的做法和美洲不同地区的做法。